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The Episcopal Church USA just released a draft of the new same-sex marriage rites that are being developed for official use across the denomination.

The church is already involved in conducting same–sex marriages in states that allow for it but there is no formal denominational liturgy for the ceremonies. Also, same-sex commitment blessings are permitted elsewhere in the church under the direction of the local bishops.

The drafts are released so that they may be studied by bishops and lay/clergy delegates before the church’s General Convention this summer.

Here’s the proposed vows from the draft:

In the name of God, I, N., give myself to you, N. I will support and care for you: enduring all things, bearing all things. I will hold and cherish you: in times of plenty, in times of want. I will honor and keep you: forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.

And here’s the proposed draft pronouncement:

"Inasmuch as N. and N. have exchanged vows of love and fidelity in the presence of God and the Church, I now pronounce that they are bound to one another in a holy covenant, as long as they both shall live. Amen."

Response: For the entire history of the Episcopal and Anglican church, the official liturgy has has been Biblically based. Now they are proposing to proclaim God’s official blessing over same–sex marriages with what Biblical authority? The report makes this claim:

“fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God.”

“Such covenantal relationships can reflect God‘s own gracious covenant with us in Christ, manifest the fruits of the Spirit in holiness of life, and model for the whole community the love of neighbor in the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation.”

They project authority for the new covenant in Christ’s teaching on loving one’s neighbor as ones self and then apply what the scriptures have to say about fidelity and monogamy into this new rite for relationships which for nearly 2,000 years were condemned by the faithful church and for tho9usands of years before that in Judaism.

It is a case of picking and choosing what Biblical passages will apply and ignoring clear teaching that would forbid this redefinition of marriage entirely. Under what authority do they call it a ‘holy covenant’ and pronounce God’s blessing upon this new rite? I guess ‘political correctness’ and a vote of their denominational conference is authority enough for these folks who have clearly departed from the Biblical faith once delivered to the saints.            *Top

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A new campaign called ‘Believe Out Loud’ has been launched to encourage Christians to not only support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people but to speak out and not be silent. The new movement is primarily targeting mainline denominations hoping that their influence and voices will heard and make inroads into the Christian community.

My question is this- Can evangelical Christians (those who still believe in the authority of the Bible) support LGBT folk in anyway?

Yes. In the following ways:

1. I believe that we can and should be respectful, loving, and accepting of gays and lesbians that we come in contact with everyday—at work, as neighbors, in our own family, even in our churches.

2. We can support the basic civil rights of LGBT folk—the right not to be mistreated or discriminated against on the job and in housing.

3. I happen to believe that we can support ‘domestic partnership’ laws which give LGBT couples the same legal rights as married folk.

Where do we draw the line?:

1. We don’t have to accept or agree with their lifestyle. We can actually abhor it along with other sinful behaviors that the Bible is clear on.

2. LGBT folks are Biblically excluded from leadership positions in the church along with everyone else who continues to live in a sinful lifestyle.

3. Support for traditional marriage as defined between one man and one woman. Opposition to any other form including same–sex, and polygamy.

Conclusion:

The yeses are not enough for most Gay rights activists who consider evangelical churches to be the enemy. Rightly so if their goal is to make the LGBT lifestyle totally acceptable to everyone including the Christian community.

The Believe Out Loud group is really another attempt to weaken the opposition to same-sex marriage and drown out traditional Christian voices using the power and authority of liberal mainline churches.               *Top

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I believe that the recent ruling by the Anglican Council of Bishops reflects the ongoing shift of the center and power of Christianity towards former missions.  I have written about this development in a previous post.                

In the case of the Anglicans, the churches and bishops in Africa are far more conservative than those in Europe or America.  Also, the African churches are growing at a fast pace and gaining greater power and authority within the Communion while the more liberal churches in the USA and the UK are declining.

It will be interesting to see if the Episcopal Church in America decides to remain in the Anglican Communion or goes its own way.  The Bishops have ruled that the American church must refrain from observing gay unions and ordaining any more homosexual bishops.  The ball is now in the American court–literally.  Actually several conservative congregations in America are already trying to leave the Episcopal Church and join with the Anglicans in Africa.  Their cases are already in court–law suits over church property. 

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     It doesn’t seem to matter to these folks, that every single vote taken on the federal level & in the states, continues to support the traditional understanding.  Do we still have a government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’? Or are we now governed by elitist judges, leftist academicians, & the unelected MSM?  This November should be interesting!

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